Moody’s (NYSE:MCO) Stock Gets Price Target Cut from JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Moody’s (NYSE:MCO) had its price objective reduced by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $570.00 to $555.00 in a report published on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the business services provider’s stock.

Several other research analysts have also commented on the stock. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on shares of Moody’s from $515.00 to $490.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Moody’s from $590.00 to $597.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price objective on shares of Moody’s from $510.00 to $520.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $505.00 price objective (up from $490.00) on shares of Moody’s in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of Moody’s from $557.00 to $593.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $551.26.

Moody’s Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE MCO opened at $484.71 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $477.91 and a 200 day simple moving average of $466.64. Moody’s has a 52 week low of $402.28 and a 52 week high of $546.88. The stock has a market cap of $83.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.19, a PEG ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.01, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.19.

Moody’s (NYSE:MCO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 22nd. The business services provider reported $4.68 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.26 by $0.42. The firm had revenue of $2.19 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.09 billion. Moody’s had a return on equity of 80.35% and a net margin of 34.25%. The firm’s revenue was up 15.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.56 earnings per share. Moody’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 16.500-17.000 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Moody’s will post 16.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Moody’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 4th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th were issued a dividend of $1.03 per share. This represents a $4.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 14th. Moody’s’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.13%.

Insider Transactions at Moody’s

In related news, CEO Robert Fauber sold 1,467 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $484.30, for a total value of $710,468.10. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 51,964 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,166,165.20. This trade represents a 2.75% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Moody’s in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Moody’s by 87.1% during the 1st quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 58 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Moody’s by 1,866.7% during the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 59 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Compass Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Moody’s during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Moody’s during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.11% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Moody’s

Here are the key news stories impacting Moody’s this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada lowered its price target to $575 from $610 but maintained an “outperform” rating. The revised target still implies substantial upside from Moody’s recent trading level, signaling that RBC views the pullback in expectations as a valuation adjustment rather than a change in the company’s long-term outlook. Benzinga analyst ratings report
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street is preparing for Moody’s third-quarter earnings report on October 21, with consensus calling for approximately $4.25 in earnings per share. Investors are focused on whether continued demand for credit ratings, research and risk-management products can sustain the company’s recent double-digit revenue growth and strong profitability. Moody’s Q3 2026 earnings preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre-earnings coverage is highlighting estimates for revenue, operating margins and other key metrics beyond headline EPS. These previews could increase volatility around the October 21 report, particularly if Moody’s delivers strong earnings but offers cautious guidance. Zacks Moody’s Q3 estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies reduced its Moody’s price target to $560 from $610. The cut may weigh on sentiment because it reflects more limited upside following the stock’s recent advance, although the new target remains above the current share price. Jefferies Moody’s price-target update
• Negative Sentiment: Additional commentary from BMO Capital Markets and other analysts has emphasized a more cautious valuation outlook, reinforcing concerns that expectations and the stock’s premium valuation leave less room for an earnings disappointment. BMO Moody’s forecast

About Moody’s

Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO) is a global provider of credit ratings, research, data, and analytical tools. Through Moody’s Ratings, the company evaluates the creditworthiness of companies, governments, financial institutions, and structured finance securities, offering opinions and research used by investors, issuers, and other market participants.

Through Moody’s Analytics, the company provides financial intelligence, economic research, risk assessment tools, data, and software. Its products support credit and market risk management, compliance, portfolio analysis, lending, insurance, and corporate planning.

Moody’s traces its origins to 1909, when John Moody published an analysis of railroad securities.